


Not Mine; Your's.

by Tatergattler



Category: Destiny (Video Games), 少女前线 | Girls' Frontline (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, In making this I have rescinded my right to die, Welcome to hell zone~!, i have no clue what i'm doing, it's too good of a fate at this point lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2020-01-11 19:12:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18430322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tatergattler/pseuds/Tatergattler
Summary: The conflict between G&K and Sangvis Ferri continues with no lull in aggression, no end in sight.So much so that unidentified T-Dolls have started appearing around areas of conflict, wielding weapons never before seen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hoooooo boy...
> 
> So! Welcome. I do owe you an explanation.
> 
> This entire thing stems off of the ~~wish~~ idea that weapons from other popular franchises such as Destiny and Titanfall may make an appearance in our beloved raifu collection simulator.
> 
> ...That's it.
> 
> Please excuse any trashiness cause, I can promise you, there will be a lot of it.
> 
> Oh yeah, also, gay girls are great. Just, wanted to get that out there.

The first thing that shot through my mind was dull, aching pain, of a wound, old, yet fresh.

The second thing was the fact that I was thinking in the first place.

I sat up a bit too quickly, my torso sending a searing signal of pain up my spine. Only a small hiss came out of my mouth though.

Something told me I'd have more time to figure out my situation later, but for now, I needed to get my bearings. A quick glance around revealed that I was in the middle of some kind of forest. A glint of gold on the ground next to me caught my eye.

Testing my fingers, I reached out and picked it up.

The Last Word.

Me.

The wooden handle and dark steel of the revolver felt at home in my palm, despite the entire situation being so foreign in the first place. Flipping open the cylinder, I saw the cartridge was loaded. Good.

Self defense not an issue, I slowly got up onto my two feet, taking a deeper, more detailed look at my surroundings. My gut was telling me I wasn't safe here.

Turns out, it was right.

A twig snapped behind me, and I whipped around, handcannon at the ready.

There stood a humanoid being. Two arms, head... Ponytail... They were armed, a type of techy looking rifle in their hands... A visor blocked their eyes from view, and they wore a muffler, covering the rest of their face...

If I squinted, I could've guessed this person was a Guardian...

We just stared at each other for what felt like minutes, weapons drawn and trained on the other.

The other's hand moved to press an earpiece. I could barely hear what they were saying, but...

"Encountered a new Griffon doll. Doesn't match anything in current data base..."

Griffon doll? What? Before I could get to asking questions, the other being cut me off.

"I will retrieve the cores for analysis."

Cores..?

I wasn't able to question anything else before that rifle raised more and the being pulled the trigger.

A bolt of energy nearly grazed my side as I dodged left, taking aim and firing my own retaliation shots.

The pop of my weapon firing sounded soothing, familiar... The bullets flew true and the aggressor's rifle was shot out of their hands while both of their shoulders took their own hits.

3 shots.

The wounds seemed to spark like some kind of robot... Was this being Exo..? Definitely didn't look Vex...

Undeterred by the holes in their shoulders, they pulled a knife and charged at me.

A simple sidestep and an arm grapple later, the knife was in my hand, at my attacker's throat, and the arm that previously held the blade was broken. More than usual, at least, and the barrel of my namesake pressed against the back of the head.

"I need answers." I finally spoke. My voice was feminine, but mature... I had no time to question things like this right now though.

\---

Turns out, I didn't get anything out of that thing. Well, besides a knife, which I considered at least somewhat valuable at this time.

I also looted the sheath and a handful of what seemed to be rations. Tried the rifle, but I couldn't figure out how to work it for the life of me. It was nothing like the Scout Rifles or Snipers I had an inkling of an idea how to use, so that was a no go.

All set up, I picked a direction and started off. Staying in one spot will only paint a larger target on my back, and as far as I was concerned, I'm a wanted 'Griffon Doll' right now.

\---

Other voices. Feminine...

"Are you sure you heard shots from over here?"

"More than sure, Springfield..."

Springfield..? I scratched my brain trying to think of the significance of such a name... Right, staying hidden...

A few moments later, a pair of women walked into my field of view.

One small, sporting a cowboy hat, while barely wearing anything. What looked to be shorts and a jacket or vest, boots...

One tall, blue coat and a regal air around her.

Something on me must have reflected some light, because the small cowgirl instantly noticed me, whipping out what I assumed to be a Hand Cannon of her own. The other girl reacted as well. As did I. 

Two barrels trained on me. One from a Hand Cannon that appears even older than my memory can recall. One from what seems to be a precision rifle with wooden furnishing. Generally weapons from the EDZ and Dead Orbit had that but... That rifle still looked unfamiliar.

"Ya don't look Sangvis..." The cowgirl started. "But carryin' a Sangvis knife is a mighty cause for concern."

"State your name, affiliation, and business." The blue coat commanded. "Otherwise, you may end up uttering your last words."

I held my tongue. These two seemed... At least more competent that that last weird girl I ran into. One misstep here could lead to my demise.

I recall my swift, agile frame, but I know when something spells trouble.

"I expect an answer."

I took one more glance at my namesake. I was thrust into an entirely unfamiliar situation, with no pointers, clue, or anything to how I got here, why I'm here in the first place, or what I even am.

Making up my mind, I holstered my weapon. The rifle lady seemed to slightly lower hers. At least so she wasn't glaring at me through her irons. I pulled the knife from its sheath and gently tossed it behind me.

"If the knife's causing problems, that's fine, but I keep my cannon on me." I stated. No response. "I'm staying anonymous, and I've no malicious intent, but I hear so much as a hammer click, I will not hesitate to protect myself, we clear?"

The two girls traded glances seeming to whisper to themselves before the small cowgirl huffed, and grinned, holstering her own iron. The rifle remained in the other's hands, though the barrel was pointed to the ground, at rest.

"Fair enough, but as an unidentified entity, we will have to take you into custody, regardless of intent until we are certain you pose no threat to the Commander, the base, or to us. You may keep your weapon on your person if, and only if you unload it."

"Gee, Spring. Always uppity and official, even in these situations?" The cowgirl asked casually, crossing her arms and looking up at me with a smile. "Now, I'll respect yer choice to stay nameless, but like Springfield said here, we don't want no dirty business in these neck of the woods. Unload your weapon, and we'll handle the rest."

After a bit of deliberation, I sighed before complying, making a bit of a show, dropping the cartridge from my chamber and pocketed it.

The girl grinned.

"See Spring? She listens, she's got no Grey on her outfit, she didn't attack on sight, she's no Sangvis!"

"I can only hope you're correct." Springfield sighed, slinging her rifle over her shoulder. "If your situation is anything like I assume it to be, SAA here will be more than happy to answer your questions. Follow us please. I'll notify the Commander." Springfield turned and started walking the direction they came from. The smaller girl, SAA smiled at me and gestured for me to follow.

For being in their custody, they were awfully friendly and lax with their security.

"...Anyways, yeah, name's SAA. Single Action Army is you wanna be official, or Colt if you wanna roll by that, whatever suits your fancy. That outa the way, questions! You got em, I got answers!"

"... Erhhmm... Yes, I uh... Your partner... Mentioned having an idea of what my situation was..?"

SAA nodded, looking forwards at the taller girl.

"Springfield's our station's adjutant. She kinda has to know the word of the base and all. Keep everything under wraps, help the Commander, that kinda stuff. Recently though, we've been getting a few new girls that no one recognizes. Not the gooks at I.O.P, the geeks at 16, or even G&K HQ." SAA looked up at me. "Girls like you, cause I sure as hell don't recognize that iron of yours and I'm sure I'd remember a cannon as beautiful as that." She shook her head. "I'm gettin off the trail... Kay, look. Girls that have no record of ever existing have been showing up around this area. Girls with weapons we never heard of, who haven't the slightest idea of what's been going on or why they're here. Sound like you?"

"...I...guess..."

SAA nodded, stretching with a sigh.

"It's been a wild few weeks, but I've been enjoying it. The only other new Handgun girls I've met have been Wingman and Mozambique."

"Wait, but didn't you say girls..?"

"Mmh? Sure did."

"Wingman..?"

"Ahh... All us t-dolls are gals, regardless of name. Though I will say, Wingman is a pretty tomboy-ish gal."

I shook my head. What in the world...

"You don't recognize either..?" SAA asked.

"No. I'm afraid not."

"Huh. Wingman and Mozambique seemed to recognize each other through some weird voodoo cause they say they never seen each other before. Whatever it is, it's beyond my head. We've gotten other girls too though, I'm sure Spring's got them all memorized by now, don'tcha, Spring?"

" Ah..? Oh, are we talking about the new girls..?" Springfield slower her walk to let us catch up. "I've notified base we're returning. The Commander is getting a room all sorted out for you... Erh..."

She paused awkwardly, obviously wanting to know my name...

I looked to SAA. Whoever this group was with, they didn't seem like terrible people at least... I guess my name wouldn't be terrible for them to know.

"...Last Word."

"Excuse me..?"

"It's a name... My.. Weapon's name."

"And by extention, yours!" SAA smiled. "Us dolls in GnK employ are named after our respective weapons."

"Last Word... What a... Decisive name." Springfield mused aloud. I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Decisive indeed."

"Mmh." Springfield nodded with her own smile. "I think I overheard you not recognizing Mozambique nor Wingman, correct..?" 

I shook my head.

"We have also found Mmmh.... Devotion..?" 

I shook my head again.

"Hmm... Mastiff?" 

"No."

"They all recognized each other. Mozambique even recognized Mastiff as her older sister... Maybe they're from a different... Faction... Or some sort. I'm trying to think of other girls that haven't recognized anyone..."

Springfield seemed to think for a moment. 

"...Oh! She keeps herself secluded, and she's a bit... Odd, but, does the name Malfeasance sound familiar..?"

I paused. 

"Ah, Malfie! I kinda forgot about her, she's so... No where... Eh..? Last Word..?" 

...I closed my eyes and sighed softly.

"Malfeasance is a name I can recognize."

\-----

The Commander and I stared at the figure hiding in a corner with various items that seemed occult in nature... Springfield only sighed softly behind us.

"She...really hasn't moved since yesterday..?" The Commander asked, turning to look at Springfield.

Seems like everyone where was a girl. Not that I really minded. I was previously a weapon. I still am a weapon. Weapons don't usually care about things like gender or... Whatever.

The Commander was short. Only by a bit though. Around up to Springfield's forehead. Dirty brown hair, tied back into a thin, long ponytail dangling down to her hips. Shining blue eyes. If I wasn't a weapon I may have called her pretty.

"I'm... Afraid not." Springfield murmured. A device around her hip hummed and she rushed to check it. "Ah, I'm needed at the repair bay. Sounds like a few dolls got into a fight."

The Commander nodded, sighing, though she was smiling too.

"You may go, Spring. Don't let me stop you."

"Thank you, Commander. I'll head back to your office once I'm done." With a bow, the adjutant turned and made her leave.

"She's gotten herself a reputation as a mother within the base." The Commander giggled, before stepping into the large dorm room, where the other girl was still skulking. "Either way, since you have claimed you recognize her name, you will be roomed with Malfeasance for now, Last Word. Maybe you might be able to entice her to at least eat something... She may be new, and Springfield is wary of moles in our ranks, but a girl in my files is a girl I'll take care of."

I nodded silently.

"U-uhm... Of course, Commander."

We shared a salute before she turned to leave.

I took a deep breath before approaching the last girl in my general vicinity.

"...Malfeasance." I stated firmly, stepping up to her, arms crossed.

"Kukuu... So, the cannon clad in gold has arrived? As expected of the universe's most loyal following of the great fabric of space-time!"

I blinked. She blinked back. She was also grinning. Really wide.

"I, Malfeasance, too was thrust into this unknown place with little to no knowledge of what may lurk around every corner, but it is here, that I have discovered my true powers, and tapped into the greater picture, to observe the great quilt of space-time!!"

...I can see why no one would voluntarily want to spend time with her...

"I was foretold by the great senses hidden within that the fabled wheel gun of justice, of law, and of order would grace me with her impeccable presence!! The one and truly only; Last Word!!!"

The girl had stood up and struck a pose, pointing dramatically at me.

"...Or the Commander came to tell you." I offered, shifting my weight around a bit.

Instantly the girl withdrew with a awkward smile on her face.

"T-the Commander only confirmed my suspicions is all..." Malfeasance bounced back with vigor. "A-anyways, I have been informed from the powers above to assist you with familiarizing yourself with the facilities of this great manor of heroes!"

\---

After a lengthy tour, with even lengthier explanations courtesy of one questionable hand cannon, it was nearing evening. Most girls have around this time were winding down preparing for a night's rest, well earned. Others, meanwhile, geared up for night ops. Seems like the vigilant never sleep.

Having settled back into our... Minimally furnished dorm, I finally took some time to take in my new appearance and situation, now that I wasn't constantly bombarded with new information or anything else of the sort.

A mirror in the bathroom allowed me to finally get a bearing on just what I looked like.

A healthy frame, black hair, slightly narrowed, focused golden eyes, mildly tanned skin of the sort. The one thing I found odd was my chest size. Given my reputation of being as light and agile as my namesake was, I'd expect myself to be on the smaller side. Maybe even flat. I didn't find myself to be one to judge my own breast size, but I found them... A tad large for my liking.

My clothing consisted primarily of darker, earthy tones and colors. Vest over a jacket, over a short sleeved shirt. Leather belt holding up some short shorts. Black thigh highs, and what seemed to be some kind of... Fashionable combat boots.

Dressed to kill, I suppose.

Tomorrow would be my first full day on base if things roll smoothly. Let's hope they do.

I sighed heavily before leaving the bathroom, seeing Malfeasance finishing slipping on an obviously oversized tee, undressed from her usual overly fancy frilly clothing. She seemed to have heard me return.

"I hope you don't mind thst I've already claimed the top bunk for myself." She gestured towards the bed in the corner of the room. "Such a position during my rest will allow me to fall in sync with the rhythm of the universe with little trouble."

I just nodding rolling along with her act.

"Of course, I don't mind at all. I hope it's not much of a bother, since you've been leading me around the whole day, but, I've just gotten here and all, I'd assume there'd... Be a lack of sleep ware for me to have for myself..."

"Ah! The Commander, ever the clairvoyant, has supplied you with a number of night dresses, which have been stored in that dresser there, within the top drawer. They do lack personalization, though I assume that will not be a problem."

Sure enough, there were a few gray night dresses right here Malfeasance had stated. Wonderful.

"Thank you again, Malfeasance. Feel free to get comfortable. I got the lights once I've changed."

"Thanks is not needed, though I do greatly appreciate it."

And with that, she seemed to drop dead asleep on the spot... Huh...

Slipping into my own new sleep wear, I folded up my clothes and stuffed them away in the top dresser for now and handled the lights before flopping into the bottom bunk.

With nothing but the darkness and the soft, frankly adorable snoring coming from the girl above me, it wasn't too hard to doze off on the comfy mattress.

Hopefully things go smoothly, but knowing how situations like these are, calm days are numbered.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a brilliant day. Cloudless sky, warm with a slight breeze, fresh scent in the air...

I sat back against a tree and admired the scenery. I've never experienced a day like this before... A voice called out and caught my attention.

Said voice belonged to a girl. I didn't... Recognize her, but seeing her approach filled me with happiness and joy. I waved back to her and gently pat the empty spot next to me, within the shade.

One blink however, and everything changed. A gunshot. A very familiar gunshot. The girl approaching me stopped, and some projectile buried itself into the tree trunk behind me.

Dread filled my chest as I slowly and warily glanced to my right and pulled out said projectile.

It looked like a dark, twisted, blood covered...

\--The girl that was once waving to me was now on the ground, no sign of life--

_Thorn_

\--

I blinked my eyes open... Malfeasance was being noisy in the bathroom... Of course she is.

What kind of dream was that... It left more questions than answers...

Who was that girl?

Was Thorn really here?

And if so, could we even consider each other comrades?

My stomach flipped at the thought. Never in my life, both as a handcannon and as... Whatever I am now, never have I ever considered the idea of being allied with such a Weapon of Sorrow.

Which also brings the question; Is Malfeasance also a 'Weapon of Sorrow'..?

From what I understand, there's no explicit definition for such a weapon, besides the fact that they all utilize the power of humanity's enemy; the Darkness.

Thorn is one of the supposed many said weapons. A powerful revolver, corrupted and rotted by an enemy of humanity, back in our world... But here, things were different.

At least I hope so, anyways.

Getting back on track with my train of thought though, Malfeasance didn't seem... malevolent. Sure, from what I understand, she harnesses power behind the Taken, a faction with the very powers of the Darkness.

Despite that however, here, she seems.. Honestly, she seems relatively harmless. At least to the base. The other girls seem to have gotten at least used to her presence...

"From the dark, dangerous powers invested in me, and upon the darker gods of the world, I beseech thee, the Gilded Gun of Justice, to arise from your slumber!!!"

...Ah wonderful...

"Fine, fine, I'm up, I'm up..." I grunted, sitting up and tusling with my hair to get some locks out of my face.

"Splendid! I shall allow you to prepare for the day ahead! I shall await your arrival at the dorm's front door!"

Mmh... First thing in the morning and she's already pedal to the metal...

After pulling myself out of bed and doing what felt natural, which was cleaning up, dressing, and making sure I looked presentable, I headed towards the door to exit the dorm, and sure enough, Malfeasance was waiting there, in the hall. She seemed to be talking with someone.

"Is she cool? Like, really cool?!"

"Trust Malfeasance's true and just word that the Gold Gilded Cannon is quite intriguing!"

Ah... They're talking about me. Well, may as well see who's curious.

The door slid open and there was Malfeasance with another girl as expected.

She was around the height of the Commander, sliver hair and shining silver eyes. A lot about her as silver, actually. Her hair was short, messy, very tomboy-ish, and her clothes seemed to be a tasteful blend of tactical and street casual, hoodie, baggy jeans, bandolier holding what seemed to be extra cylinders, and a loose belt around her hips that held several bags, filled with who knows what.

It was apparent that this new girl was also taking in my appearance.

I found myself a bit self conscious, worrying about how I looked, and if I cleaned up enough.

The girl didn't seem to mind and threw a salute my way.

"B-3 Wingman!" She introduced herself. I followed her example and gave a casual salute back.

"Hand Cannon, Last Word."

"I've heard sooooo many cool things about you!! How you can fan your hammer with ease, and still be as precise as rifles! From the hip no less!!!" The tomboy instantly broke her official persona and started fawning over her, her eyes literally shining. "I'm a revolver too, so can you please teach me how to be so good at fanning?! I've always wanted to try it!!"

I cleared my throat. "Maybe later. Don't we have somewhere to be?"

"Of course! Our destination is the mess hall! There, we shall feast for the day ahead! Afterwards, we shall be told our assignments from the Commander herself! What a grand day it will be..." Malfeasance seemed almost dreamy, thinking about what was ahead of us.

"If the Commander sticks us with range practice, can you teach me?!"

...Honestly, I felt today was going to be more tiring than anything.

\--

Breakfast wasn't much of a break either. All the newer, unrecognized dolls like Malfeasance, Wingman, and I had all conglomerated at a small group of tables.

There, I met more girls in a similar situation as me.

SA-3 Mozambique. A well meaning, but air-headed klutz of a handgun doll, and friend of Wingman's. Often referred to as Mozie. 

Mastiff, Mozambique's older sister. A Shotgun type doll with an untamed demeanor. Also very insecure about her breast size... Or lack thereof. 

Devotion. A lethargic LMG that rarely speaks and would rather read than converse. I've been told she becomes quite different in battle. Guess I'll have to see her in action myself.

And L-Star. An odd ball to say the least. An LMG wielder with the energy and disposition of what seemed to fit an SMG instead.

All of these girls seemed to know each other somewhat, even prior to their sudden appearance here. From what Wingman has told me, they all had memories of agile super soldiers similar to Guardians who could summon and command giant mechs.

Malfeasance and I, in turn, shared our memories of our own wielders. Agile, and notoriously destructive loose cannons with the powers of the brightest sun, the deepest void, and the deadly sparks of the mightiest storm.

Mozambique commented that they sounded like something straight out of fiction.

At this point, I'm not too sure what's real, and what's fake anymore.

The sound of a throat clearing silenced the large cafeteria almost instantly. The commander's voice came over the intercoms.

"Well, welcome to another morning, girls. I know things recently have been slightly more hectic than normal, but I have nothing but praise for all of you and how you handle yourselves out there."

A few cheers echoed through the room.

"As always, echelon and individual assignments will be updated in your PDAs. Those who are new and still need an assigned PDA, please come to my office after breakfast is over. A new batch of devices have arrived just last night, so Spring and I will get you all sorted out. It's going to be a bit miserable out there, forecast is saying rain, so be sure to dress appropriately before heading out. That is all, so good hunting, girls."

With that, a small pop from the speakers, the announcement ended, and talk started to filter back into the room as girls all over checked their devices for their assignments today.

Most of the girls at our table as well whipped out their tablets to peek at their jobs.

"Ooh!" L-Star was the first to pipe up. "More time in the research lab! Fun! I love talking with all the people in the white coats in there!"

"Ugh, more range training? Why can't I get fielded already? Wingman, you've been out there a few times, how is it?" Mastiff whined.

"It's... Confusing. I kept mistaking dummies for their mainframes, so, that was a bit embarrassing. Besides that though, the few times I went out, I was part of a logistics team, so I didn't really run into combat. At all." Wingman's annoyed sigh finished her summary. It was obvious that they wanted to taste battle.

"Dummies..?" I asked, deciding to try and learn about this place while I was here. No use in being secluded.

"It's, like, shadow clone juts-- owie!" Mozambique piped up before Mastiff flicked her sister in the side of her head.

"Oi, what did I say about staying up late and watching that anime?"

"...Sorry, sis... But it was so interesting!!"

"Interesting? Have you ever seen idol anime?! I'll have you know there are some amazing idol shows out there!"

"I myself really like those magical girl ones! People keep talking about this one called... Paula...Paul...Parley...? Parlie..? Barlie..?" L-Star trailed off, scratching her head, trying to remember just what the title was.

"All of you, shut up." Devotion spoke up for the first time, causing both sisters and the other hyper LMG to immediately stop their squabble. Amazingly, she didn't even look up from her book.

An uncomfortable silence lay over the table like a thick mist... Until Wingman piped up again, thankfully.

"Well, it's just about time to get going! Malfie, you remember where the Commander's office is, right? Be sure to take Last Word there to get her tablet." The silver revolver stood up and stretched before double checking her own pad for her assignments.

"Oh! Mozie! We're running a mock battle with E4 against E9 at 14:00!"

Mastiff scoffed. It was obvious she was jealous.

While the flat Shotgun fumed over the dailies, Malfeasance stood with her usual grandiose flair.

"Well! Having the needed sustenance to continue my journey on the magical mortal coil, I am ready to assist the Gilded One on her pilgrimage to the Commander's office!"

"It's not a pilgrimage... Like... At all." Mastiff muttered, flicking through some screens on her device.

"Nonetheless! Off we go!!" With that, Malfeasance grabbed my shoulder and tugged me away from the table.

"Wha- Malfeasance! I haven't cleaned up yet!"

"That can wait! Getting your own tablet device is much more important at this current moment! The fabric is telling me so!" 

...Yup, a tiring day it is. Persevere, future me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celebrating L-Star's return in Apex finally gave me enough gusto to finish this up, as she was my favorite primary back in Titanfall 2. Glad to see her again!
> 
>  
> 
> ~~i rly suck at br games tho so oops~~


	3. Chapter 3

"Ah, Last Word. Welcome" Springfield greeted us the moment we entered the command wing of the base from behind the adjutant desk. "The Commander's all set to see you, just head through the door to the left."

I nodded and broke off from Malfeasance to enter the Commander's office. Behind me, I could hear Springfield thanking the other hand cannon for the help.

The sound of the door closing behind me caught the Commander's attention and she glanced up from her desk before standing up. I gave a sharp salute, as it seemed to be appropriate for the occasion.

The Commander yawned in response.

"Ugh, paperwork really sucks on days like these. Gloomy outside, boring inside..." She whined to no one before stretching and shaking off any drowsiness remaining. "Either way, welcome to your first full day on base, Last Word. Come on over and take a seat." She gestured towards one of the cushioned chairs before her desk.

As I sat down, she rummaged around behind her desk, muttering something inaudible to herself before pulling out a tablet with a relived sigh.

"Allllrighty then." She placed the device on the desk and sat down with a hefty plop onto her own chair. Quite a... Unique demeanor.

"So. All formalities aside, again, welcome to our station. Hope everything's been at least okay. Hectic few days. So! Ahem, let's get you hooked up with a PDA shall we?"

The Commander tapped a few times on the device and it blinked to life as it booted up. She took the time to brief me on the bare basics of it meanwhile.

"This is going to be yours. This tablet will be your best buddy and messenger. Assignments, changes, updates, text communication between you and your new allies, all of that is supported on this device. It also functions for navigation and emergency beacons, should it detect thst you've been in a pickle. Egg heads are still working on the calibration for that function, but we've gotten a lot less false alarms since the last software update, so I don't think you'll need to worry about that. Basically, at the bare minimum. If you need almost anything, this tablet's got you covered."

I just nodded. What a useful device. The purpose it serves didn't seem too different from Ghosts back where I came from. It shouldn't be too awfully difficult to adapt to this new life.

The screen now had a logo on it. I recognized it as the G&K standard.

"Alright. If everything is set up, just pick it up and hold onto it for a few moments and it should be synced upto you."

Was it really such a simple process? The people behind these devices are quite skilled. I reached out and picked up my new tablet device. It was lighter than I was expecting too.

I felt something in my head, some odd kind of buzzing..? Snow..? Something, like waking up with sleep still in your head. After a few moments though, it stopped. The screen blinked to a different display. Several icons littered the homepage in a neat, contained grid.

"Awesome! Congrats! You're now the proud owner of that device!" The Commander chimed, flashing a bright smile. "It took everyone some time to figure out how to use them and get used to them, so don't worry too much about that at least. Malfeasance is waiting for you outside and, since she's opened up almost instantly since you've arrived, hopefully not chatting Springfield's ear off. I've placed the both of you in the same activities as to help familiarize yourself with the rest of the base and the day to day life here. You'll be reporting into the firing range after this meeting for calibration and talent spec."

"Talent Spec..?"

"I'm sure it has a more official name, but right now, I can't be bothered to think of it. It's basically a few activities and tests to help us gauge your strengths, weaknesses, stuff that will help me place you in the best spot you can be, and work on a few stuff that needs working on."

"Ah, I see." This base sure has its infrastructure well oiled.

"From the short time I've seen you, it's obvious you're a capable girl, so I'm sure you'll be fine. If that's everything and you have nothing for me in terms of questions, you're dismissed." And with that, the Commander gave me a quick wave as I got up and stashed the tablet. I didn't know what to respond with, so I ended up doing an awkward combination of a wave of my own, and a salute.

I left the room as soon as physically possible.

Outside, Malfeasance had a deck of cards placed in front of the secretary and was rambling animatedly about... A tower..? Springfield glanced over in my direction with a face most unreadable. 

"Malfeasance." I spoke up. The girl in question paused to look back at me.

"Ah! The Final Statement has returned!"

"...Final Statement?" Springfield poked cautiously.

"Yeah! Like, Last Word... Final Statement..? Yeah..?"

No response from either of us.

"Ahem, anyways! I assume you have procured a tablet from the commander?" The taken handcannon cleared her throat and moved on, leaving the awkward silence behind.

"I have. She's also told me our next task for the time being, so we'll be going now. Sorry to disturb you, Springfield." I gave a quick, shallow bow in apology before grabbing Malfeasance by the wrist, gently but forcefully tugging her away from the desk. She managed to snag her deck before we left the vicinity.

"Shooting Range, Malfeasance."

"Ah, of course! Right this way!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering, yes, other Destiny weapons will be appearing over the course of the story.
> 
> Once I get to updating it. 
> 
> Also, I guess I forgot that I didn't upload this chapter? Cause I already got 4 typed up and ready. So, double update.
> 
> Lastly, I'm aware of the typos that my show up from time to time in my works. It's just that I'm far too lazy to beta read, and even lazier about getting others to beta read for me. So, what you see is what you get, for now at least. Thanks for sticking around.


	4. Chapter 4

The scent of gunpowder felt new, but familiar. Malfeasance hummed, sounding impressed as she flipped a switch.

The cardboard target, which had 8 holes, all of which were packed tightly in the torso, floated forwards through the wiring system in the range.

"I'd expected nothing less from the gilded gun!" Malfeasance nodded, looking...proud..?

"Have to say, never seen a 8-Shooter before." A new, unrecognized voice came from behind. "Then again, haven't heard of a 15-shooter either."

Both Malfeasance and I turned around to spot a...smaller girl in primarily white clothing, with that...weird looking hat. "My magazine size has nothing to do with....who would you be...exactly...?"

"M1985. Nagant Revolver." She introduced herself while twirling a handcannon that looked more at home in a museum than in the hands of...a child..? "I'm not a kid!! I'm easily over 80 years old!!!"

"...You or your gun..?" Malfeasance piped up, more thinking to herself aloud than actually asking.

The apparently-80-plus-year-old took a deep breath and continued on with a thinly veiled smile, "The Commander's asked me to supervise and register your test results is all. I can already see you got started." The girl pointed behind us to the target that I had totally forgotten about. "Is that the hip fire target?"

"Uh... Yes, ma'am." Malfeasance looked... Conflicted, saluting to someone shorter than her. 

"Okay, I know I said I'm over 80, but don't treat me like some old hag!" She chided, walking over and... Had to take a small hop to yank down the target. 

"Impressive...You're sure this is hipfire?" She asked, looking up to me with a curious expression. 

"...Pretty sure I didn't look down my sights."

"...Hm. Alright. Go ahead and reload." Nagant chimed while she jogged a few meters back to snatch a new target, scribbling something on it with a black marker. She explained further as she set the target up and flipped a few switches, the cutout on its way down the range.

"This is a precision evaluation. From a lowered ready position. Head. Mag Dump. You'll be scored on accuracy and speed."

I nodded, twirling my own gun idly to work out the anxious feelings I had... Being watched and judged like this is... Something I found out I didn't really like.

Nagant fetched an odd little device and pressed a few buttons on it, holding it up near me. 

"Shooter ready?" 

"I'm ready." I took a deep breath, extending my arms, my hands gripping the smooth wooden furniture of my namesake. I glanced down the length of the gun, the sights blinking into view, to familiarize myself before lowering the weapon slightly. 

"On the beep. Standby."

...

...

A moderately loud beep did in fact sound off. 

I rose my gun to point, the holographic sights blinking into view as that little dot locked onto the head of this paper adversary. 

The first shot was from single-action, with the hammer already pulled back, making for a nice, clean, and accurate first shot. 

My off hand came up to above the hammer while I held down the trigger. 

And I let the song sing itself.

It all basically happened in a blink of an eye, and my internal clock had counted all eight rounds spent, so I didn't end up accidentally dry firing. 

The target had a small, but meandering line of bullet holes, starting from the center of the head and wandering off up and to the left, the last few holes off the black line of the head. 

I let out a breath and glanced down at Nagant. She was looking at that device and let out another impressed hum. "Well, you certainly dumped 9 rounds quicker and more accurately than some of our semi-auto rifles when they first started."

I wasn't exactly sure if that was a compliment...

The girl took out her tablet and tapped a handful of things, moving it to slip back into the bag at her hip.

"Alright, moving on, target aquisition!" She chimed. Malfeasance groaned.

"I hated this one..."

"Was it really that bad?" I asked, glancing over at Nagant. She paused in though and shrugged. "Honestly, I don't remember my own test results. I was one of the first dolls in this station... But I remember one test that really annoyed me, but I can't remember it... Maybe I will when we come across it. Alright, here's how this test works...."

I felt like I was going to be here for a good while...

\--

Malfeasance sat down with an overly dramatic sigh, tossing a few snacks onto the table, the sound lightly echoing off of the hard walls of the range. Nagant had left with the rest of the test results earlier to catalog and get it in the database. Apparently some scanning and stuff was needed, all of it far too complicated for me as of right now.

"...Shouldn't I be the one who's worn out..?" I asked, raising an eyebrow while grabbing one of these snacks. A quick glance told me it was chocolate.

"I have been transferring my energy to you through the astral plane, you should be thankful."

"I uh....don't really believe that, but.... Thank you?"

"Hmph, very well. Believe what you will, my powers are mine alone." Malfeasance looked genuine for saying such a line. I would've expected some sass or bite, but no, she was just genuinely like that. "Very good job on the tests today though. I'm very sure the Commander will place you in a fitting team."

"Have you done anything around the base, Malfeasance?" I asked, a bit curious on what she had done prior to my arrival.

"A few battle simulations and training skirmishes." She looked a bit disappointed. "I have not yet faced true battle."

"I see." I felt a bit bad, not being able to add anything to the conversation, and we sat in silence for a few moments before someone else barged into the firing range.

"Oh! Last Word! Malfie!" L-Star chimed in her high voice, bounding over to us with her namesake bouncing against her hip, hanging from a two point strap around her shoulder.

"Malfie is off limits." Malfeasance huffed, crossing her arms.

"Why? I think it's cute!" L-Star whined.

"Because that is reserved for those who can channel my powers beyond what others are capable of achieving."

"...She's saying it's for friends only." I piped up, a bit surprised I was able to decypher whatever nonsense she had been saying, as if I had known her for a while now.

Malfeasance simply nodded, her arms crossed. 

"Friends only..? Oh, well, that's okay! I'm one of your friends already, Malfie, so it's not a big dealio~"

To say this girl was an air-head would be painfully accurate. 

"Uh... I mean.... Y-yeahhh... Sure... If course you are." The taken hand cannon stammered, thrown wildly off course with how this conversation evolved. 

The LMG simply shot a wide, almost contagious grin. "You're great, Malfie! We should hangout sometime!" 

The girl in question simply cleared her throat, looking away to try and hide the blush spreading across her face. 

\----

The next day comes, and with it, another trial in the art of personal hygiene. I'll get used to it all in time, but that doesn't stop it from being weird now. 

The mess hall was as noisy as ever. After gathering what I assumed would be decent food to start the day with, I sat down at the usual table that the foreign outcasts used yesterday. Devotion and Wingman were already there. 

Malfeasance wasn't too far behind me, and the sisters Mastiff and Mozambique arrived together as well, with the elder sister busy running a comb through the younger sister's hair. I found myself wondering what having a sibling would be like, but my train of thought was quickly cut as L-Star burst into the scene, almost spilling orange juice all over Devotion.

The coms popped and the Commander's voice came online.

"Okay, so, situation girls. S.F's punched a hole through our defensive line down south a ways. The station Commander there has requested back up, so I'll be sending who I can to aid them. Your tablets should be updated with the new plan within the next 5 minutes at the latest if you're gonna give them a visit... If this damn thing decides to actually load..." A faint tapping was heard over the speakers. "Ah, whatever. The ground's still muddy, but it'll be sunny out there girls. Let's get cracking."

Another pop signaled the end of the announcement.

The atmosphere around the massive room felt a bit heavier than usual, but the chatter filed in none the less. My tablet hummed from its satchel, and I saw Malfeasance jump in surprise when her own tablet vibrated. Sharing a look, we both pulled the our respective devices out and read the large notification. 

_**URGENT:HG Last Word, report to helipad/RIFT with Echelon S-2 for deployment by 0715.** _


	5. Chapter 5

Finding where the helipads were wasn't too big an issue. A lot of other girls were headed in the same direction for their own assigned sorties. The problem was finding the right helipad.

In this base, apparently different helipads have different codenames to help with logistics apparently. Helipad Rift was....somewhere. I turned around to try and see what other pads I've passed. Maybe their own codenames can help.

I only saw Malfeasance looking smug as she approached me.

"Worry not, Gilded One, The Rift calls for the both of us, and as such, allow me to escort you." She mused playfully.

I figured she was saying she knew the way to go, so I just gave a half nod, half shrug. Satisfied with that, the Taken Handcannon turned and headed down the road, effortlessly weaving between the crowd.

Not much later and we came across a helipad with a purplish tint upon its surface. Printed out in front of it lay 'RIFT'.

Upon the aforementioned surface, a lone helicopter was resting, the blades spinning as it sat in idle, waiting for the order to take off. There were a few girls talking just outside and what looked to be a few inside as well.

One of the girls outside noticed our approach and waved. She was on the smaller end, and boasted blue eyes, dark hair, and a friendly smile. Her clothing seemed to be a tan overcoat of some kind over... A... School outfit..?

"Welcome to E 2-S, you two!" She chimed over the roar of the rotors as she gestured for the others to get in. "We'll go over introductions once we're in the air!"

\---

"...That's...actually your name..?" I found myself asking.

"Ah, yeah. I get that a lot." The blue eyed girl laughed awkwardly. "But yes, I'm Super SASS. Adjutant to our team leader, M14." The twin tailed girl gave a wave. "M14 is having me handle leader for right now though, training up and all that."

I nodded. Meeting this many people was already taking a toll on my mind. How could I remember all these names was beyond me.

"I'm M1911!" The next girl piped up. Blonde, blue eyes, and....a very large pair of....personalities. Yes. Personalities.

"Calico." The green haired girl waved casually. Her look was...a bit more unkempt than I expected, her own twin tails puffed and messy.

"Viking!" Chimed the last girl, who sported short blue hair and a bright smile.

"Well, it is quite the honor to meet such powerful souls!" Malfeasance spoke up.

"We'll do our best." I added. "This is my first time being deployed like this."

"Right, you got here like, yesterday? Two days ago?" M14 spoke up, her brows furrowing in concentration.

"Two days, I think." I nodded. "I'm Last Word."

"You may call me...Malfeasance." The girl next to me paused, most likely for dramatic effect. "It is also my first forray out into the wide world! So, please do excuse any slips me and my accomplice happen upon."

"Oh, yeah, I understand completely. Being fielded for the first time gave me the jitters I was so nervous." Sass nodded.

"I remember my earlier days when I got a bit too cocky. Ate plasma to my arm for that." Calico rubbed what I assumed to be the afflicted arm. "Only made that mistake once though."

We continued to familiarize ourselves with each other as the ride progressed, though it didn't even feel like an hour had passed when we got word that we would be landing soon.

"Well, ready to dance with some SF?" M14 asked eagerly, pulling out her rifle and double checking its functions as well as her magazines.

My own hand gripped the smooth, familiar curve of my own namesake as I glanced out the window. Looks like we'll be dropping in close to the action.

"I shall show our enemies to the end of the mortal coil! They shall fear my dark bolts of retribution!!" Malfeasance seemed pretty hyped up. Her enthusiasm helped calm my own nerves.

The door slid open as we landed. The others hopped out, their movements and posture were clean and obviously trained. 

Once Malf and I were on the ground, the helicopter whirred up and lifted off. Sass gave a parting wave to the pilot as she turned to face the way towards the firefight. We could hear the sounds from here.

"Alright, S-2. We've been deployed on the western end of this assault." Sass started up, pulling up a projected map from her tablet. A small yellow marker showed our current position and additional marks across the map seemed to update the state of the battle live. It was honestly quite impressive... "Directives from this area's Commander will have us sweep in from the side, and create a wide deadzone with precision sniping to give the our lines some breathing room. After we get an additional signal, we will make our way north, moving our kill zone up in pace with the retaliation attack."

I nodded, seeing the battle plan in front of us. Seemed to make decent sense. But we were just Handcannon and sidearms... We didn't have the range that Sass and M14 boasted. 

"Handguns, you're our escort and guard. ARs would be too loud and garner way too much attention towards us. Just remember, we're a supporting team here."

Everyone gave more nods. 

"Alright, any last questions?" 

No one spoke up. 

Sass pressed her fingers up against her ears, activating some kind of communication. 

"This is Supporting Echelon S-2, reporting in. We're ready to move." 

She paused. 

"Alright, we've got the green light. Let's move, gang!" 

First time for everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skill:  
>  **Magic: Death Beyond Hell!!//Hex: Taken Malevolence!!**  
>  Int CD: 5 sec///CD: 1 sec (Togglable Passive) 
> 
> **Magic: Death Beyond Hell!!:** Increase own Crit Rate and Crit Damage by 35%. Every 5th shot (affected by dummy links), upon a target afflicted with 'Malevolence' will deal 3x unit's damage to the target, and an additional 1.5x damage across 1.5 tiles.  
> Prioritizes enemies afflicted with 'Malevolence'.  
>  _// -Passive: Deal 10% additional damage to Taken and DATA type enemies.-_  
>  **(Default) Hex: Taken Malevolence!!:** Increase own RoF by 25%. Attacking a specific enemy 15 times (affected by dummy links) afflicts them with 'Malevolence'. Additional attacks against a target afflicted with 'Malevolence' will deal 10% additional damage. Prioritizes Elite enemies.


	6. Chapter 6

The sharp crack of a rifle shot thumped in our chests.

A moment of silence.

"Clean hit." 1911 spoke up, looking out into the field with a pair of binoculars.

M14 giggled to herself as she continued laying watch across the zone they had designated as their own. The two snipers opted to take shifts, one watching while the other reloaded their magazines. It was a clean system, all things considered. 

"So, what do you think having dummies will be like?" Viking spoke up randomly.

"...Mind explaining?" I asked, the fact that the term 'dummy' wasn't ever clarified for me taking my attention.

Viking nodded, not even thinking twice about what I asked.

"Dummies are kinda like...a doll that looks like you, and has the same capabilities as you, but are controlled with your neural cloud over... Uh... Zener..? Is it Zener?"

"I think so..." Sass shrugged, slipping more rounds into her magazines, a few fully loaded ones resting in her lap.

"Whatever, but it's like an extention of yourself, taking the form of yourself or something... I don't really know good words to describe it. But like, if you see some of the higher up dolls walking around and they've got two or three of themselves following, you're not seeing double. That's their dummies."

I nodded slowly. I hadn't... Come across any of these dummies... They seemed like it'd be a pain to keep track of the real one.

"From what I've seen, dummies don't really emote at all unless you want them to. I've seen some of the wacky things the Russians get up to with their dummies." Calico added, glancing out into the field as well, having taken over 1911's role as spotter while the other took some time to let her eyes rest.

"But yeah, having basically multiples of you to control... Sounds both really cool and a pain." Viking finished, looking up at the thick canopy of leaves above us.

"Having shadows to assist me sounds absolutely wonderful!" Malfeasance chimed, excited by the idea. I meanwhile, felt a bit apprehensive still.

"And the Dummies look exactly like the girl they're based off of?" I asked. "How do you even tell which one is the real one?"

The handguns paying attention just shrugged. "Everyone just says 'You'll learn' and nothing else." 1911 sighed. "It's frustrating, but... Until we can get our own dummies, I guess we'll be in the dark."

A twig snapped nearby. Everyone tensed up and the two keeping watch out to the field pulled back. 

We all looked between us, as if to ask if one of us was guilty of snapping said twig.

It wasn't any of us.

Which meant that there was someone unidentified nearby...

Another snap, this time followed by what sounded like arguing. 1911 drew her pistols, looking towards the general direction of the sound.

"....I'm gonna take a look." She whispered, getting up.

"I'll come too. We'll be safer together if something goes wrong." I stood up, pulling out my revolver with a twirl. 1911 didn't seem to have any feelings against me not joining her, so I silently followed her as we made our way deeper into the forest.

Voices. Girls.... Only two them by the sounds of it. I focused, trying to listen in on what they were talking about.

"...So, uh...You're not gonna like... Blast me with that thing, are ya?" A peppy voice with some southern drawl spoke up. 

"...Do I look like I'm going to?" This voice was light as well, but with...well, there was much more in that voice than I was able to pull as of right now. 

"...No, not really."

"There's your answer. You'd hear me winding up if I wanted to anyways."

"Fair point... So uh... How long have you been here?"

"Long enough. A few hours, maybe."

"Huh...well ain't that something... Do...do you know what's going on?"

"Just because I have glasses doesn't mean I know everything. I'm still trying to figure out how this all happened anyways! Like why we have bodies all of a sudden?!"

"Okay, okay, calm your horses..."

1911 and I traded glances. They mentioned having bodies all of a sudden, maybe they were dolls like Malfeasance and I..?

"...Why did I get stuck with a straight brained girl like you anyways?" 

"Hey! I hardly ever think straight! ....whatever the hell that means."

"And the case is closed, ladies and gentlemen."

"You really do live up to your name, Merciless."

Merciless?? The fusion rifle? I don't really know too much about the gun, but I knew that it was a fusion rifle. A type of weapon with minor charge time before unleashing several bolts of powerful energy. 

Now that I think about it, fusions are...quite ahead of this time, aren't they..? I haven't really seen any energy based weapons besides L-Star and her gang, but they were also from a different world...

Whatever, I knew Merciless...

I stepped out of cover, holstering my hand cannon for now. Three sets of eyes flicked to me. One set was 1911's, I knew that. 

The first one I notice was a bit on the taller side, had glasses, long bangs that covered her right eye followed by a messy short hairdo that rested comfortably at her shoulders. She...wore a blue bikini with a white coat that was either a lab coat, or a trench coat. I couldn't tell. But over that all, she had a side satchel that seemed to be heavy with what... I assumed to either be spare ammo, or books. Either way, her feet were covered in the casual socks and sneakers.

In this girl's hands, she held a weapon with a distinctive profile, the hollowed barrel housing a dancing, untamed flame.  
She was Merciless. 

The other girl was short, with a get up that reminded me of that one hand cannon... SAA I think her name was. Western hat, short shorts, she was also rocking the old west look, but this girl seemed to be covered up a lot more, along with knee and shoulder pads. Though around her right thigh, an extra piece was strapped on, and there, attached to this extra piece was her namesake. I recognized it after a brief moment.  
Huckleberry.

Familiar sights, despite having just met them. This felt nice.

"Merciless. Huckleberry." I greeted the two of them with a nod to each.

"...Word..?" Huckle spoke up with a squint, trying to identify my weapon at my hip. I pulled it out and twirled it.

"The last one." Was my reply. 

"Last Word." Merciless spoke up.

"You two sure don't know how to keep quiet." Both seemed to want to retort, but held their tongue. "Come with me. We have allies we can trust who can explain most of everything going on. One is with me."

I gestured for 1911 to come out of hiding. 

"Uh, M1911." She introduced herself a bit awkwardly. I guess she felt a bit awkward with not knowing most of the girls here.

"...M1911?? Like, the first modern semi-automatic pistol M1911, in .45 ACP??" Merciless's eyes seemed to sparkle.

"...Yup, that's me!" She bounced back, pleasantly surprised that she was recognized. "How'd you figure?" 

"I...I have quite a bit of knowledge in firearms." 

"Quite a bit is one helluva understatement." Huckleberry muttered with a smirk. She promptly got an elbow to her arm. 

"If...I know we've been here for less than a day, but... I feel as if I study those who came before us, I can better my capabilities in combat." Merciless seemed confused.

"We can save this for later. The rest of the group's waiting for us." I spoke up again, pulling their attention towards me as I gestured back to the area we had holed up for now.

Why we were randomly appearing here is still unknown to basically anyone, but for now, it's what we're having to deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skill:  
>  **Ride the Bull**  
>  Int CD: 4 sec///CD: 10 sec  
> Increase own RoF to 150 for 4 seconds. Enemies defeated by this skill will increase skill duration by 0.5 seconds per enemy defeated. Additionally, upon defeating an enemy, increase own DMG by 50% per enemy for the duration of the skill, up to 3 times. Stacks are lost on skill end.


	7. Chapter 7

Of course our luck wasn't going to last forever. It didn't take SF too long to find where our little outpost was and sent a strike force of what 1911 told me to be Vespids and Jagers.

Only now our numbers has been bolstered by another two, with the addition of Merciless and Huckleberry. Two close-mid range specialists.

A chunk of wood next to me got blasted by plasma, a large welt where the bolt hit, the wood burnt and searing. Now wasn't the time to think about the tactics we should employ when we were in the middle of a firefight.

Near me, I could hear the unmistakable sound of Huckleberry's namesake firing wildly, the girl wielding the weapon was just as wild as she whooped and cheered, apparently enjoying the thrill of combat.

I heard the pops and controlled bursts of the other pistols in the group, Malfeasance mumbling something to herself as she ducked behind a log to reload.

A distinctive crack sounded, something like thunder, but much more aggressive. I watched as several glowing bolts of glowing red-orange energy ripped across the field and tore down a small group of Vespids with ease. That was undoubtedly Merciless's work.

Another loud crack, this time from a silenced rifle. A faint vapor trail ripped through the air and took out a particular Jager that was keeping Malfeasance pinned. The handcannon nodded back. Super SASS replied wordlessly with a thumbs up, her eyes still focused on her optics.

I heard some leaves shift near me, where I knew none of us were stationed during our defense against this raid.

Whipping around the corner, I fanned my hammer five times, and five Vespids who thought they could get a cheeky flank on us got a lesson in the form of a face in the dirt as my shots hit home.

Another cracking report from Merciless, and another snap of Sass's accurate precision. This battle was quickly turning in our favor despite being ambushed almost a few minutes ago.

I peeked around my cover and saw an unfortunate Jager get pelted by Malfeasance, her shots digging into the armor, glowing with dark energy.

I counted 5 shots. Then those embedded within the Jager quickly flashed and detonated while inside the target, easily taking it out, and showering the nearby vicinity with Taken shrapnel.

Frankly, I still had no idea what to think of Malfeasance. She seemed to be pretty friendly, and her antics, while odd, never hurt anyone so far. Was she really one of those so called 'Weapons of Sorrow' that my own world feared?

The battle didn't last much longer, the attacking force had been routed without any casualties on our end. We all gathered up on Sass for a sitrep.

"Ammo?" She asked, stuffing a half spent mag into her pouch for right now.

Most of the crew confirmed they were fine on ammunition. Merciless, however, wasn't as fortunate.

"This place doesn't have much places I can draw energy from to fuel my weapon."

"What's that thing run on anyways?" M14 asked, her gaze locked onto the contained flame within the Fusion Rifle in the other girl's hands.

"Paracausal Energy is the easiest way I can explain it." Replied Merciless.

"Ah...so...not something like... Double A's or something..?" Viking piped up with a tilt of her head. Merciless laughed softly. 

"Double A's wouldn't be enough to even charge one bolt."

"Oh."

"I seem to be able to passively generate ammo while within sunlight, probably due to the nature of my weapon, but it's far too slow and not something we can rely on."

Sass nodded, scratching her head. 

"Huckleberry, you look a bit beat up." Calico spoke up, glancing over at the SMG. 

She looked a bit dinged up, with a few scrapes and rips across her clothes. Nothing major, but it was still something to take note.

"Nah, I can handle worse. Those Vespids or whatevers were tickle bots!" Huckleberry laughed. She did seem in high spirits, so maybe it was okay...

"I know you've only just joined the battle, but please take care to not get injured too often." Sass spoke up. "If one of us goes down, it'll hinder the entire group's ability to handle combat."

"Fine then..." Huckle pouted with crossed arms.

"Merciless, do you have any other weapons or defenses on you..?" The echelon leader turned to the fusion rifle. 

"...Not...not that I know of." She replied, feeling around her clothes, or lack thereof, for a moment. 

"Well, I recommend you hang back and only use your weapon when nessesary. Your firepower is noticeably potent, so the Handguns can push forwards with the Vanguard while you can cover both me and M14 from any that tries to rush us. I'm sure they'll get the message once they see what you can do."

"...Understood." Merciless didn't seem too happy about hanging back, but she did look like she knew it was probably the best course of action to take.

"Any other things the team needs to know?" Sass asked. "If you don't speak up about problems now, it'll hurt us down the line."

Silence. Seems like everyone else was pretty fine. 

"Alright then. The sector's Commander's given the green light on the counter offensive. We're moving up, girls."

\----

After what felt like a 15 minute hike, Sass set us up on a nearby forested hill, giving a noticeably clean line of sight to the area where our forces would be drawing the next line. 

Viking handled lookout while the rest of the crew settled down and got prepared.

M14 and Sass were talking amongst themselves, probably about tips and comments about how she was leading the team so far. 

Calico and 1911 had pulled out their tablets and seemed to be texting someone. Who, I'm not too sure, but I'd assume it's related to this operation. Hopefully, at least. 

Malfeasance rested within the shade of a tree, doing some of her weird deck of cards shenanigans. Tarot or something I think it was called...

Meanwhile, completely opposite of Malfeasance, Merciless was sitting out in the sunshine, looking out into the sky while Huckleberry hung by her, chatting both the fusion rifle's and the taken cannon's ears off. Malfie seemed to take it into stride though, and the two went back and forth about something. I didn't really care to listen in on their conversation. 

I idled near Viking while she glanced around with a pair of binoculars. 

It wasn't too long before Sass made the rally call, everyone grouping up for one last briefing before the next skirmish began. 

"The attack will commence in 5 minutes, and I've gotten some news from command and a few of the field teams fighting in the front."

"...Good news?" Viking piped up hopefully. 

"...News." Was all Sass replied with, giving a mixed expression. 

"Aw shucks, it's bad ain't it..?" Huckleberry sighed with a shake of her head. 

"There are confirmed reports of a third party snooping around in this operation."

"A third party? One not allied with us, nor the Sangvis?" I asked for clarification

"Exactly that. Field teams have been reporting both enemy and allied casualties with similar wounds, with some kind of corrosive property to it. They also found remnants of what seemed to be sharpened, black arrowheads. Or something along those lines." Sass finished, looking at all of us. 

"I was contacting one of the field teams and they said those arrowheads reminded them of a rose's thorns almost." 1911 spoke up, showing us a picture on her tablet that the field team in question sent her. 

It was unmistakable. That projectile belonged to only one, singular weapon. 

Half of us froze up upon seeing that picture, myself included. Malfeasance only looked ticked off, having to close her eyes and take a deep breath.

"At last," She murmured. "My dark, twisted double. It is because of her that I have fallen from grace, to become one who rides the thin line between the light, and the dark."

"Looks like round two." I sighed, forcing my brain back into gear.

"You two did have quite the history, didn't you?" Merciless added, glancing at me, causing the others to finally look at me for an explanation. I just nodded in response.

"She is one of the few from my world to possess the title of 'Weapon of Sorrow', and was the one weapon who was able to kill the legend who wielded me." I glanced out towards the battlegrounds that would soon fall into chaos.  
"Her name is Thorn."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Skill: Conserve Momentum**  
>  Int CD: 0 sec///CD: 0 sec (Conditional Activation)  
> Passive: When this unit damages any enemy without any kills, increase this unit's RoF by 30%, up to 3 times.  
> At any time, when this unit kills any enemy, this bonus will reset and enable activation of skill.  
> Activate this skill to boost DMG dealt by 25% for 8 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times, and stacks decay independently from one another.


	8. Chapter 8

Who would have guessed that one singular person....T-Doll would've caused this scale of a breakdown in the frontlines?

Sass and M14 were busy, trying to snipe out enemies that posed a threat to their allies, as well as keeping a look out for Thorn. Both of them had a resident handgun as a spotter. Viking for Sass and 1911 for 14. The information the spotters shared with their partner was short, quick, and consice.

Meanwhile, Huckleberry and Merciless were busy reloading the empty magazines that the snipers discarded, to make sure there was a constant flow of ammo. In a situation like this, a pause in flow could be fatal.

Lastly, Calico and I were stationed to guard the group from any external attacks while they focused on getting more lead down range as accurately and as quickly as possible. We had a few scuffles with Jagers trying to be cheeky and flank our forces, but they were dealt with soon enough.

Call it intuition, or a sixth sense, but I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Calico noticed my sudden tense up and quickly looked around for any threats.

"Well. I was not expecting to see you here, old friend." A light voice with a sinister drawl to it came from nowhere.

A gunshot sounded off. It sounded like something was stuck inside the barrel but was forced out with extreme velocity.

Calico screamed. I quickly glanced over to see her hunched over, collapsing to the ground while holding her tight arm.

It didn't take me long to figure out who was attacking us. The thought made me shiver.

Dashing over to my downed ally, I scooped her up and booked it towards the rest of the group. A projectile whizzed past my ear. Close...

I heard maniacal laughter as a few more pelted the ground near me. I felt like she was missing on purpose...

Calico was trying to keep herself from making too much noise, toughing out the wound she took. I could see it from where she was in my arms.

A hole, barely steaming, glowing a sickly green as the corrosive agent chewed through her body... Not good...

"Sass! M14!!" I yelled as I finally caught line of sight to the rest of the group. Some of them were already on edge, from what I assumed was from them hearing Calico's scream.

1911 ran over and took Calico out of my arms. I would've watched to see where she went, but there's more pressing matters to deal with at this point in time.

The two leaders of the team were already almost fully packed up and ready to move. M14 looked up first and a expression of relief flashed across her face before she focused and took charge. "Word! Sitrep!!" She yelled, haphazardly slinging her rifle over her shoulder as she ran to meet me half way.

"Thorn. It's Thorn. Calico's hit on the arm, looks pretty bad." I summarized as clearly as I could.

"Sass! Check in on Calico and see if you can do any sort of field repairs before we mobilize!"

Super Sass gave a two fingered salute while turning to run over to where 1911 had laid Calico against a tree.

M14 turned back to me. "Give me all the information you know of the encounter. I've already called in our casualty. The counter offensive is going well enough, so the local Commander's letting us pull out early."

"Right, I didn't see her, but she was able to be heard. Light voice, kinda unhinged almost, definitely not sane." I shook her head. "I think she missed on purpose as I ran with Calico just to scare me...

The leader nodded and turned to the rest of the team, most of which was gathered around Calico to see if she was alright.

"2-S! We're shuffling out right now!"

A few of them gave back affirmations. Malfeasance broke off from the group and approached me as the rest of the team rallied.

"Our ally shall be mostly fine. Thorn's curse can only last so long before becoming ineffective. Though..." She glanced back. Viking had took over carrying Calico while Huckleberry and Merciless had their weapons drawn. "Regardless of the severity of the wound, I imagine the burning fire of pain was....astronomical."

At least Calico's gonna be fine. That's good.

\-----

In the time we were away, it seems like a small detachment of Sangvis had decided to capture the pad. Huckleberry and Malfeasance made quick work of them.

Once the pad was back under our control, M14 pulled out her tablet and tapped it twice.

"Evac's been enroute. ETA of 5 more minutes. Hang in there, crew."

I found my hand on the grip of my gun... Something within me was screaming, something instinctive... I let it happen.

I dodge rolled to the side as a blackened thorn pierced where I was just standing. I returned fire towards the general direction of the attack as I settled back on my feet.

"Oho?" That same voice from earlier sounded. "Why, even here, you manage to hold my interest~" It swooned. "We are intertwined to each other through fate, you and I. We are destined to duel until the end of time."

A figure walked out of the woods. I heard several weapons train on target.

"Ahaa, what a lively, motley crew you have here, Last Word. I almost envy you."

She was...she almost looked like a child from how short she was, while sporting a dark, almost, seething black shade of hair, her skin was a sickly white, and her frame looked fragile, thin, as if she actually was sick. A medical eyepatch covered her right eye, her left one seeming to glow an unsettling shade of green. All she had for clothes was some messy, dirty, unkempt, oversized shirt that lazily exposed her right shoulder. That, and...I mean...I really hope she's wearing something underneath that... Just the shirt is all I could really see...

A dirtied red hair ornament kept her bangs from falling in front of her face, fashioned into the shape of a rose.

...

I hate to admit this, but had this girl not been hostile and borderline psychopathic, along with being my mortal enemy, she would've looked pretty cute...

She paused her approach, just at the edge of the area's shadowed forest, staying in the dark. Her smile was smug, and unthreatened.

"I look forwards to our fateful duel. Last Word."

"I won last time. I'll win again." I stated firmly.

"Ahah, I believe the score is one-to-one, my friend."

She was right though...

"Until then~" She mused playfully, performing a curtsy with her shirt's bottom as if it were something far more appropriate for such a gesture.

I let out an annoyed huff and turned away, closing her eyes.

A moment of silence.

"...She just... Faded into the shadows??" Huckleberry's voice filled the air as the tension slowly dissipated. Slowly. 

The sound of the evac chopper was just barely audible...

I found myself extremely ticked. Not at Thorn. Well, a good bit of it is at Thorn actually, but it was mostly on me.

Why were her legs so dainty and smooth???? And why am I thinking about this??????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A Dark Play Upon Fate**  
>  Int CD: 4 sec///CD: 10 sec  
> Passive: All successful attacks apply damage over time equal to 1.5x damage across 3 seconds. This cannot stack, but can be refreshed.  
> Active: Increases passive's damage to 2x over 3 seconds and allows stacking. Effect lasts 5 seconds. Enemies killed with this effect applied to them while skill is active will create a Remnant that travels slowly towards this unit. When a Remnant reaches unit, grants self and allies on her tiles +10% dmg and +10% RoF for 5 seconds. Can stack up to 3 times.


	9. Chapter 9

We've only gotten back to our home base, but the heliport yard was already basically in chaos. Around the Rift helipad at least.

A few dolls I didn't meet nor recognize came by and helped Calico away. The Commander was also there, surprisingly.

I hopped off the winding down helicopter, giving her a salute as my hair rode the articical winds still being churned up by the blades above me. The Commander returned the salute with a small smile for a brief moment before turning and watching Calico disappear into the building.

M14 and Sass approached her and did what I assume was report what had happened on the mission.

"So! This is the base huh?" Huckleberry leaned out of the helicopter, hanging onto a hand grip to keep herself from falling over as she took in the area. "Doesn't feel too different from the Tower, honestly."

The rest of E 2-S filed out of the chopper as a few others came by to perform routine maintenance.

"So, you brought home two new girls, huh?" She asked looking up at the slightly dinged up Huckleberry and Merciless.

"Howdy! Huckleberry, ready to ride!" She chimed with a small pose.

"Merciless, Solar-Type Fusion Rifle. The enemy won't stand a chance." The other gave a light bow at the hip.

"Welcome you two. Sass and M14 already gave me the rundown on what you two are capable of, so after this all winds down... Last Word, Malfeasance, could you give these two a tour around the base and swing them by my office for their tablets? I got more paperwork ahead of me it seems..." The Commander laughed, but it was obvious it was fake. I'd understand.

"Of course." I replied with a nod.  
"Consider it done, my Commander!" Malfeasance shot out the most enthusiastic salute I've seen to date.

Our leader gave a smile, thankful nod, turning to walk away for now.

"Ah, before I forget, remember to have Huckleberry drop by the repair bay for a freshening up. I can't imagine walking around all bruised up like that as comfortable."

"What?" The smg t-doll blinked. "I don't feel anything, is it that bad..?" She asked, looking between all of us.

We looked between each other, and Merciless gave an 'ehh'.

Truthfully, she looked pretty banged up, but hey, if she's feeling fine then I guess that's...not as bad as it could've been.

\---

I was wandering around the base alone later that day. Malfeasance took both Huckleberry and Merciless into our room to get them sorted out, so I was free to wander around. Mostly to familiarize myself with the layout so I could navigate around without Malfeasance's help.

I heard some interesting sounds coming from the shooting range. Something that reminded me of....that one... Sweet Business. It reminded me of that because of the wind-up that this weapon had.

As such, I was more than curious and took a peek inside.

Devotion herself was laying prone, aiming down range. The barrel of her weapon was smoking, from the sheer amount of rounds she had pumped through the system. She let the machine gun stand on its bipod as she sat up herself, brushing off her front.

"What a pleasant surprise, seeing you here, Last Word." She spoke in a voice that very much didn't sound like the stern voice I heard back when she initially told the rest of her crew to zip it.

I gave her a small wave as I approached. "What are you up to this evening, Devotion?"

"Practice. Staying vigilant will keep my combat efficiency sharp, and accurate." She replied, the strength behind her soft voice wasn't unnoticed.

"Sounds like someone back in my world would've said." I laughed lightly, glancing down range. The only target present was riddled with several holes, the center basically punched out with holes spread out and up mostly, but all in all, a very impressive spread. Especially for an automatic weapon like hers.

"The system within my namesake allows for accurate semi-automatic, and tap fired shots, but also allows for heavy suppression through overwhelming Firepower." She explained, lifting up her machine gun, cradling it in her arms as took out the horseshoe type magazine, giving a small blow down the mag to clean it out minorly.

"Could I have a demonstration..?"

"...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to run one more magazine." The small smile on her face was precious as she knelt down and shuffled through a bag next to where she was laying. Within is what I assumed to be more magazines to fuel her weapon's mighty thirst for ammunition.

Before long, she pulled out a fresh magazine, the rounds within looking like ones that I've never really seen before, black casings and glowing green tips. She seemed to notice my curiosity and spoke up.

"Energy-based rounds. Lower heat emission for better sustained fire."

She slipped the magazine into the weapon and gave it a soft tap to make sure it was snug before she pulled the charging handle.

"I'm only going to dump one more magazine for tonight. I need to reload my ammo and magazines." Devotion walked over to a table, the bipod resting on the surface while she took position behind her weapon, her off hand supporting the stock against her shoulder as she stared down the sights.

The first shot blasted out of the barrel with an aggressive, sharp 'thunk'. The second shot, surprisingly, came out much later, like, almost a whole half second after the first.

After that, the rounds just kept coming and coming, the range turning into a mini strobe show from the rapid, bright muzzle flash.

I could hear the magazine's spring rattling as it lost tension, a surprisingly nice audio cue for when she was nearly empty. Sure enough, the barrel spit out almost ten more rounds within a split second before the weapon fell silent.

I couldn't help but whistle, impressed with such an advanced system, spitting rounds out of a single barrel at such high speeds for so long. Sure, the barrel was still smoking, but it was only one barrel. Compared to the Sweet Business I'm more familiar with which had, if I can recall correctly, eight barrels..?

"In exchange, can you demonstrate to me your own weapon? Wingman was rambling about trying to fan her hammer and only getting poked with no success."

I held in a chuckle. From what I've seen of Wingman's revolver, that hammer was pretty angular with acute corners, so it wouldn't surprise me that such a hammer wouldn't lend itself well to fanning, not to say it couldn't be done.

"Fair enough." I replied, pulling out my iron with a twirl, the cylinder popping open for me to insert the cartridge.

The handgun let out a satisfying click as I gave it a light flick, the cylinder snapping into position, ready to fire.

I took aim at the already heavily perforated target and let loose my 8 rounds.

Devotion nodded, arms crossed as she took in what I do as second nature.

"It's quite impressive you're able to fire so accurately with such a dynamic firing style, but it works." She smiled at me, slinging her bag over her shoulder, cradling her weapon within her arms once more.

"Maybe we'll be able to see each other on the field one day." Devotion gave a small nod of respect.

"I look forwards to the opportunity." I replied, returning the gesture.

With that, Devotion turned and left the range, leaving me to my own devices.

I turned to the target that was by now, barely recognizable.

Thorn is out and about... And she's just as powerful as she was back in our world... I wonder if she'd be able to take on every girl here and win...

Hopefully not. I really hope not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skill:  
>  **Unwavering Conviction**  
>  Active  
> Int CD: 1 Sec///True CD: 18 Sec  
> This unit fires at 40% RoF, and quickly ramps up to 150% RoF. When at 150% RoF, switch to Sweeping Mode.  
> Resets upon reloading, moving, or upon skill expiration. 
> 
> Upon activation, increase accuracy by 50% and enter Precision Mode for 6 seconds, firing a shot that deals 2x damage every 0.5 seconds. This shot can critically hit, can miss, and targets the enemy's backline. This skill does not consume ammo.


	10. Chapter 10

_2 Weeks After the Events of Last Chapter.  
5 Days Until Deployment_

**\----**

The base was starting to gear up for a major operation. What it was about, I didn't really know, but I did know it involved the Sangvis and a new large bore artillery piece they simply called 'Jupiters', and that we were going up north for this sortie. 

The commander's told us to bundle up because the temperatures there aren't really comfortable. Humans would freeze up and get 'frostbites' within mere seconds. That alone was enough to convince me to at least get my hands on more cold resistant gear.

Huckleberry had been less than enthused when she heard her first legitimate deployment was going to be in such a frozen place, complaining that the winter clothing really 'cramped her style'. 

Merciless was quite busy with her own attire. She may have gone a bit overboard, but given how scantily clad she was normally, I guess it only makes sense.

Malfeasance's jacket had a large hood that dipped low enough to hide her eyes. She made sure this fact was known. I'm not surprised. 

Personally, I didn't really care too much about the looks. Practicality first in my opinion. Huckleberry gave me an odd expression when she saw what I had opted to wear for the operation and said nothing else. Something tells me she didn't exactly like my sense of fashion. Or lack thereof. 

During the day though, some of the combat echelons who routinely run patrols around the perimeter were talking about coming across Sangvis units that were already destroyed that definitely weren't there last time.

An unknown entity was taking out the Sangvis near our base. The echelons opted to ignore it though. If they were only attacking the Sangvis, then there wasn't really much concern for ourselves.

Frankly, I didn't like the sounds of that.

Also, Mozambique came by earlier and proudly boasted that she was going to be fielded in the upcoming operation. Seems like someone was excited to finally fight.

**\-----**

_4 Days until Deployment_

"So, not really good news here girls." The Commander showed up in person for this announcement in the mess hall. The murmuring came up and died down, and she waited until it was quiet once more. "After looking deeper into these destroyed Sangvis units our patrols kept running into, and it appears that they may have been attacked by an unaffiliated t-doll. Most likely hostile. Some of you may know her as Thorn."

The murmur roared up once more, but I wasn't paying attention to that. Thorn was here?? What??

"The wounds on the Sangvis units were corroded heavily and matched what we already know about Thorn almost perfectly. A few of our teams had a run in with her a good few weeks ago, during our support operation. She's not one you want to take on alone." She paused, clasping her hands behind her back. "You see anything that matches information on Thorn, you notify me immediately. This is not a threat we should sleep on during our preperations. The upcoming operation will not wait for us to be ready, and the rest of Griffon will be relying on us to do our part, so bowing out to focus on Thorn is a no-go, and I'm not leaving the base to the reserve teams when a major threat like her is outside our doorsteps. So that only leaves one option."

The Commander made sure everyone understood the gravity of the situation.

"We deal with her before we have to leave. Our hands are tied, gang. We have 4 days to hunt down and neutralize one powerful t-doll."

Malfeasance stood up, determined expression upon her face.

"I shall harbor no fear!" She yelled, pulling out her revolver and holding it up high, as if to rally everyone. "Our adversary is but one, while we are many! Shall we not uphold this station's reputation? Shall we not tackle this challenge as we have any other??"

A few other T-Dolls stood up, their namesake raised in unity.

"As powerful as she may be, this Wilted Rose bares as many flaws as you and I!"

As weird as her vocabulary is, Malfie really does know how to rally the team up.

The rest of the room cheered and the thick, tense atmosphere melted away into ambitious optimism.

Even the Commander had a fond expression upon her face. 

It was time to pluck the Wilted Rose indeed.

**\----**

_4 Days Until Deployment._  
_2 Hours After Breakfast._  
_Echelon S-2._

"Feeling okay, Calico?" Huckleberry piped up, joining the group.

"Fine. I'm looking to return the favor sooner or later." The green haired girl gave a grin.

"Sticking with us for now?" Sass asked, looking up from checking a magazine for any dents.

"Yes. Miss Commander opted to keep us all together." Merciless spoke up, finally joining us. "Hopefully Huckleberry doesn't get on your nerves too much."

"Hey! I'm right here!"

"Good."

"Merciless!" The SMG whined.

"Regardless, S-2's going to be looking off towards the south-southeastern sector. We'll be stationed within these city ruins a little less than a kilo out." M14 explained, projecting the holographic map from her tablet.

"So, we're just camping around and looking for Thorn?" Viking asked.

"Technically, sure" M14 laughed softly. "But once we're there, I'm going to organize a few small search teams to sweep the local area. Nothing too far, you'll be within earshot for gunfire."

"Okay, I was a bit worried one of those teams out be caught out..." 1911 murmured.

"I'm not going to let my echelon members wander off and get themselves disassembled, goof."

"A character worthy of the status of a leader!" Malfeasance chimed in loudly. "If I may suggest, one from our world should accompany each of these minor squads. Given such relations, I suspect that there is something that, we, as weapons from another world, share that will help synchronize the power difference!"

A moment of silence.

"She's saying that she wants one of us from our place to be in each search group because we might have some natural advantage when it comes to fighting Thorn, or at least detecting her." I deciphered. "You should get yourself a translator, Malfeasance."

"Have I not one before me?" The girl turned and looked at me with a small smile.

I could only clear my throat and turn away. Yeah, I lost that pretty bad I guess...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skill:  
>  **The Golden Gun**  
>  Int CD: 10 sec//True CD: 20 sec.   
> Toggleable. Unique.  
> Skill is permanently set to manual activation. Select default mode in character stat page.
> 
> While skill is on cooldown, activate skill to toggle between 2 modes that will augment how this skill behaves. An additional 3rd mode will unlock at Skill Level 10.
> 
> Line Em' Up: Decreases own RoF by 50% but increase damage dealt by 5x for 3 shots. These empowered shots target the enemy backline, can miss, and can critically hit. Enemies vanquished by a Golden Gun shot will remove 2 seconds on skill cooldowns for self and allies on her tiles. Targets who survive will take burn damage equal to 1.5x own damage every 0.33 seconds, for 3 seconds.  
> ///  
> Knock Em' Down: Empower the next six shots this unit fires. Each shot deals 2x own dmg, and burns enemies hit for 1x own dmg every 0.33 seconds for 3 seconds, in exchange for being unable to critically hit. Every enemy defeated with a Golden Gun removes one second from skill cooldowns for allies on her tiles, including self.   
> ///  
> (Unlocks at Skill Level 10)  
> Celestial Nighthawk: Aim for 3 seconds and fire a single, super charged shot, dealing 15x damage, targeting the enemy with the most HP, prioritizing bosses. This shot ignores armor, cannot miss, and can crit, but will only gain 50% of the total crit Multiplier. The target suffers additional burn damage equal to 2x own damage every 0.33 seconds for 3 seconds. If defeated by this skill, target detonates, dealing 4x damage to all enemies within 1.5 tiles.


	11. Chapter 11

"Alright! This building is cozy enough!" M14 chimed as she sat down in the remains of what seemed to be a large parking building. From a quick check, we had stationed ourselves at the third level of this five story building.

The sightlines out into the city's ruins wasn't exactly perfect, but given the circumstances we're facing right now, it's a darn good one.

"Alrighty team, we've been walking for a while, so let's take 5 before we start with our sweep. SS, on me."

Super Sass nodded, her rifle slung comfortably over her shoulder as she jogged to meet up with the leader. The two turned away from the rest of us and conversed silently between themselves, M14 pulling out her tablet.

Meanwhile...

"Huckleberry, if you fall, I'm leaving you to rust." Merciless droned as she watched the excitable SMG lean out over the railing to get a better view of the area.

"Ahhh, I'll be fiiine~" Huckle replied with a small giggle. "Surprised you're worried about me!"

"Wh... I'm not worried about you, you dunce!" Merciless huffed, turning away from the source of her frustration. "I'm only concerned for the team's efficiency."

"Right, right~"

"I'm going to meld your mouth shut, you insufferable little..!!"

"Hey now." I stepped in, arms crossed. "Take care to not make too much noise. If Thorn finds us before we find her, no question, we'll be taking casualties."

"Alright, alright, yeah sure, you got it. Geez..." Huckleberry muttered with both hands raised in surrender as she backed off from the argument.

Merciless looked like she wanted to speak up, but decided against it, opting to bow a quiet apology to Huckleberry before leaving the little group and heading over to where some of the handguns were sitting.

"...Wouldn't hurt you to be a bit nice about that." Huckleberry sighed, coming up to my side.

"Was I rude? I just...wanted you two to know the scale of danger we could be in... I don't want either of you getting hit." I looked over at her.

"Rude? Kinda. Your tone was all snappy and stuff like you were fed up with someone's bullshit."

"...I see."

"And like, the worrying is appreciated, but we're a team, we can't go coddling one another, and turtle up. We'd never get anything done anyways." The SMG sighed, turning to face me. "You need to trust us, Word. New as we may be, no way in hell are we headless chicken scrambling across the yard."

Huckleberry did offer some solid points... Perhaps I should think about the vocabulary I use a bit more...

"...We're from the same Foundry, you know."

"Tex Mechanica?"

Huckleberry nodded. "Far as I'm concerned, we're family, you and I, so don't you hesitate to holler my way if you need an ear, alright?"

...Family. I thought back to Mastiff and Mozambique's sisterly shenanigans back at the base...

I didn't feel as if Huckleberry was my sister, per se, but...maybe as a cousin..? Would that work..? What do familial bonds even do..? 

"Yeah. I will, Huckle. Don't worry."

The cowgirl gave me a tip of her hat and turned on her heels

"Good luck out there!" She chimed, before walking off to join up with the group that seemed to be gathering up together. Seems like our break is coming to an end.

\----

_5 Minutes Into the Sweep.  
Echelon S-2, Sweep team Alpha._

Our group contained me, 1911, and Calico. The three of us were tasked with sweeping this sector of the ruins, and so far, there really hasn't been anything.

As expected, but still slightly unsettling. In a environment such as this, you'd expect a few animals to have made this place their home. The plants sure have.

Outside of the city, I've seen the wastelands, pools and lakes of that 'Collapse Fluid' they called it. Compared to that, these ruins were a haven...

The crack of the communication system pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Sweep Alpha, I think I saw a shadow tailing you, be advised." Sass's voice came through. The two rifles were stationed in different lookout points, to provide extra reconnaissance.

"Think?" Calico whispered back into the comms. "Or know?" She didn't sound very happy. 

"I'm sorry, but that's all I could really detect, even through optics and alternative scans. I can't confirm the presence of some shadow, but I do feel as if you and the rest of Alpha need to keep your heads on the swivel." Sass replied, tone was level and focused.

"You heard the A.J." M14 piped up. "Exercise caution, Alpha Team."

"...Gotcha loud and clear, over and out." 1911 popped in before the comms fell silent. She glanced over at Calico with a bit of an unimpressed expression. Calico rolled her eyes in response.

I tapped the barrel of my handgun on the wall we were up against to put a quick end to their bickering.

With my two teammates finally focused on the situation at hand and not at each other, we slipped out of the building we had just cleared and dipped into the alleyway right to the left.

"...Alpha, you do have an unknown tailing you. I'm tuning my scope to get a better view, be wary and stand by."

The three of us glanced at each other. An odd feeling of dread crept into my spine... 

"Target identified, Alpha, Thorn is on your trail and she smells blood." Sass cracked in quickly, a slight bit of panic in her tone. 

"Well, well ladies. Let's get cracking. Alpha Team, hold position, we're collapsing in on your position. Sass, Alpha, you're clear to engage. Give her a Griffon's welcome." 

Not long after, the Weapon of Sorrow emerged from the darkness, strolling slowly towards us with a menacing grin. Before she could even begin her attack, we heard a muted crack from that suppressed rifle. A faint trail of mist traced the bullet's trajectory as it slammed into the asphalt of the street, missing its mark as Thorn narrowly avoided the precise aim of a purpose built sniper system. A follow-up shot came only a split second later, taking out a brick or two from a nearby building. Sass was starting her attack. 

"Oh my~" The small, barely clothed handcannon giggled darkly. "So the rest of your annoying team is here as well... It shall be an even fight then."

Sass fired a third shot, this time hitting the ground next to Thorn's feet. The pressure from having a sniper trained on her finally forced the girl to move, backstepping with an almost unnatural amount of grace and agility as she rolled over into a separate alleyway, across from ours. 

The grip on my revolver tightened. I steeled myself. 

Then... 

"Alpha Team, engaging!"

A flash of blazing, golden light filled my view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skill:  
>  **Queen's Wrath**  
>  Int CD: 6 sec///CD: 15 sec  
> Enter Archers' Trance for 9 seconds. While Archers' Trance is active, every 1.5 seconds, fire a powerful, penetrating arrow, targeting the enemy with the most health, dealing 1.75x damage to all enemies within its path, and an additional 2x damage to the intended target. This attack bypasses accuracy checks, preventing misses, but it may only critically hit the intended target, and is affected by armor.  
> Passive: Innate Armor Pen is boosted to 50.


	12. Chapter 12

Three defiant beams of gold left the barrel of my gun, one after the other, accompanied with a resounding, flaming crack for each and every one.

My target however, was small, nimble, and was by some means able to duck and roll out of the way, my first shot flying off into the backround to slam into a nearby building, a massive, molten crater in the cinder block where it had been impacted.

The second shot smashed into the asphalt of the street, just barely near the feet of her. The splash of rough material and blazing heat caused her to stumble as the shot itself bounced, flying deeper into an alleyway. The impact cause a faint flash at the other end.

Third time's the charm, however. Albeit not the greatest charm, as Thorn was hit in her off arm, her right arm surprisingly. The power of the attack, however was enough to make Thorn back off, stumbling backwards, holding the injured arm with her already full left hand. The glare she gave me could've made anyone melt, had it been something that was able to harm, but I stared right back. I stared right back into those angry, blazing eyes of wrath and fury.

Without breaking contact, I lifted my weapon and blew the trailing smoke off of the barrel.

Thorn slowly regained her posture, looking at everyone against her, almost snarling through her grit teeth.

"You." She pointed at me. "A duel."

"A duel?"

"I trust you still remember your roots, O Gilded One?" She asked, shooting a hostile glance at everyone else. "This _will_ be an honorable duel. If any interfere... I will tear you... Limb, from miserable limb..."

Calico backed off a bit, already having experienced what exactly Thorn could do already. 1911 seemed a bit apprehensive to back off.

"...Team, stand down." M14's voice came over comms. Was she listening..? "A duel is a duel. Trust Last Word."

"But we have several guns trained on her, including me! We can end her right now!" Sass argued, her mic being shuffled slightly, probably from her shifting around.

"Don't underestimate targets, Sass. We still don't know what Thorn is fully capable of, and I do not want to risk any of you having to walk out of the repair bay with a new body. Those aren't cheap, you know, and with the upcoming operation, we need to hold onto what we can. Stand Down, Sass."

"Don't overestimate targets either! Why give her the opportunity to possibly wipe all of us?! Why would you when you claim that you want to keep us safe when you're telling us to hold fire on a hostile target literally meters away from allies?!"

"Sass, you're a newer gun than me. You got polymer in your frame and everything. You don't know how things worked back then, before me even. But I know for a fact. Revolvers take duels to heart, each and every time."

"So you're trusting a stereotype over Alpha Team's safety?!"

M14 didn't immediately respond.

"M14!!"

"Just keep your sights on her, Sass. Pull it if any of them gets hurt. I know you're a good marksman."

"...If I do have to end up shooting, I'm filing this in with the Commander." Sass sighed, finally relenting.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. That's why you're my second hand, Sass. Now..."

The comms cut out as footsteps rounded the corner. M14 and the rest of S-2 had arrived. Merciless, Huckleberry, and Malfeasance all glanced warily at Thorn, but kept their weapons pointed at the ground. Thorn glared back at them.

"Trust your team. They trust you." M14 finished. 

"....I can't believe I'm letting you do this..." Sass muttered after a moment of silence. 

I glanced up, and at the faint glint of a sniper's scope from the top of a building a good distance away.

I glanced to the rest of my Echelon. Most looked nervous or tense. Viking was even shaking slightly.

"Holster your weapons." M14 spoke up after a moment of silence. Thorn and I stared each other down, slowly sliding our pistols into their holsters, watching the other for any signs of a cheap, early draw.

"Hands behind your back. Draw when my rifle fires."

The local atmosphere seemed to thicken heavily as Thorn and I held our hands behind our backs, staring each other down still.

Through her shadow, I saw M14 slowly raise her rifle to the sky.

Focus... This is it...

Silence.

Nothing but the soft howl of wind through alleyways. The dim scent of dust and concrete on the breeze...

Truly, it kind of way a beautiful day out...

Honestly though, I wasn't too sure about this duel. Sure, I did...kinda feel this was appropriate, all things considered. Just like our welders, back in our world, all those years ago...

I won that duel.

I never expected a second rou---

_**CRRAKK** _

The blast of a rifle caliber rount being fired sounded and echoed across the city.

Two more gunshots sounded afterwards.

Thorn grunted in pain as my shot pierced through her left forearm, making her drop her namesake, that had already fired.

I felt the ever so slightest breeze past my ear, and the smallest lock of my hair slowly danced to the ground.

My shot had caused her to miss, I believe...

Another moment of silence before Viking cheered loudly. Malfeasance joined her in the celebration. Both were quickly silenced by M14 and Merciless respectively.

While they silently complained about the small pain in the side of their heads, I had approached Thorn, looking down at her as stood, both arms basically out of commission. She was no longer fit to fight, only looking up at me with seething hatred in her eyes. It seems like she did acknowledge her loss, given her lack of attempts to still fight back... Still, just to be safe...

I flipped my weapon, gripping the barrel.

"Two-to-Oh." I spoke flatly before I swung, the grip striking her across the head with all the force I could muster. Her unconscious body collapsed to the ground.

The others fell quiet when I did this... Fair enough. I turned to my echelon leader.

"Thorn neutralized. Mission complete."

M14 took a moment to reply, giving me a wide grin, giving my shoulder a hefty pat. "I saw your evaluation results when you were assigned to join us. Amazing draw speeds and almost impeccable aim from the hip. I felt like I knew I could trust you with this. Good work, Last Word." She laughed lightly. "Still didn't stop me from being nervous and worrying though. I was ready to take full responsibility if Thorn got away."

"...Don't ever pull plans like that without telling me first, M14..." Sass groaned across the comms. "I'm enroute to your location. Feel free to radio base to fetch us a ride. I think we deserve one after all of this."

"No kidding..." 1911 sighed.

While the relived banter continued, I bent down to pick up Thorn, ending up carrying her 'bridal style'... I think that's what it was called..? Whatever. It was done, and surprisingly quick as well. Granted, our Commander did launch a base wide operation to neutralize one doll, so I guess its fair it only took a day to complete.

"We got a jeep coming in about four, five minutes." M14 called out. "Commander's supplied us rope in it too, so we can...y'know."

"This is a task I can handle with ease!" Malfeasance spoke up energetically.

"Malf, I think you're the last one I want tying up anyone with rope or cord." Merciless shot back with a deadpan tone.

"Wha...For whatever reason?" Malfeasance asked, turning to her with a curious expression.

"Cause like... You know... You're like.... Well.... T-taken... And..." The Fusion rifle started blushing and breaking down slightly. This earned her a whack across the head from Huckleberry.

"Chill, Mercili. We don't need to know what you come across during your 'research'." The smg sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Wh!! I don't..!! What do you mean?!!?"

"For such a know-it-all, you sure do forget to do the dumbest things..." Huckleberry grinned, apparently pleased that she had dirt on the other girl. Merciless was fuming from both embarrassment and anger... "...Like deleting your web history every once in a while?"

"Why did you go poking in my tablet?!?" The victim wailed, shaking Huckleberry almost violently while the other girl could only laugh.

"I never knew you were such an adventurous girl, Merci---"

"Shut it!! I fucking..!! You don't just go poking in other girls' tablets, you creep!!!"

Silence. Everyone was looking at the two. Huckleberry's expression could only be described as 'worth it'

"Let it be known. No denial."

**"I FUCKING HATE YOUR BULLCRAP ASS!!!!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skill:  
>  **Cosmological Theorm**  
>  Active.  
> Int CD: 5 Sec//True CD: 8  
> Passive: This unit's attacks are split into two separate instances. The first instance deals 10% damage while the second instance deals 110% damage. Enemies defeated will be knocked back 1.5 units before detonating, dealing 5x damage to all enemies within 1.5 units. This explosion also creates 3 tracking projectiles that will target enemies at random, dealing 2x damage.  
> Active: The second instance of any given shot for the duration of this skill will have its crit chance increased by 20%, and its crit damage increased by 35%. Skill lasts 5 Seconds.

**Author's Note:**

> I may put silly skills I made for foreign dolls into these end notes, but not all the dolls whose skills I post here may end up in the story.


End file.
